The Checkered Flag Run offers two days of exciting activities that culminate with rides to Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) (Phoenixinternationalraceway.com) to watch the Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series Race on March 3.

“We are excited about our new and expanded program,” said Alan M. Powell, co-founder of the Checkered Flag Run. “We are highlighting the diversity among motorcycle enthusiasts while supporting organizations that work to benefit the local multicultural community in the Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale areas. It’s not a white thing, Hispanic thing or a black thing – it’s a chrome thing.”

A major highlight of the event weekend will be the Checkered Flag Run Bike Show hosted at PIR on March 3. Motorcycle enthusiasts are encouraged to enter the competition to have their bike judged by legendary builders Paul Yaffe of Bagger Nation (BaggerNation.com), Brian Klock of Klock Werks Kustom Cycles (KustomBaggers.com), Dave Perewitz of Perewitz Cycle Fabrication (Perowitz.com) and John Shope from Sinister Industries (SinisterIndustries.com). Participants will have a chance to win cash prizes and the opportunity to participate in the exclusive Gatorade Victory Lane celebration that includes the awarding of the Bashas’ 200 champion’s trophy to the race winner.

Registered participants of the Checkered Flag Run will also have a chance to enter raffles for a 2012 Road Glide “103″ bike courtesy of Eagle Rider (Eaglerider.com/phoenix/phoenix.aspx), with after-market parts provided by Performance Machine Inc. (Performancemachine.com).

Major sponsors for the 2012 Checkered Flag Run include PIR, Talking Stick Resort and Casino, and CityScape (Cityscapephoenix.com). Additional sponsors include Arizona Centennial (AZ100Years.org), Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visitphoenix.com), Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau (Experiencescottsdale.com), Chesters Harley-Davidson (Chestershd.com), Superstition Harley-Davidson (Superstitionhd.com), Pro Convention (Proconvention.com), World of Soul Motorcycle Community (Worldofsoulmc.com), Urban Bagger (Urbanbagger.com), Ground Pounder Magazine (Groundpounderonline.com) and Cycle Rides (Cyclerides.com). With its expanded event in March, the Checkered Flag Run has grown to be among the country’s top motorcycle events including the National Bikers Roundup (Nbrkcmo.com), Black Bike Week (Blackbikeweek.us), Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (Sturgis.com), the ROT Biker Rally (Rotrally.com) and Arizona Bike Week (Azbikeweek.com).

Event Tickets

Tickets to the 2012 Checkered Flag Run can be purchased for $25 until March 1 or while supplies last. After March 1, tickets are available at the gate at PIR. One ticket allows access to all events including the NASCAR Nationwide Series Race on March 3. For a current schedule of events, to purchase tickets and to make a reservation call 1-866-498-RACE (7223) or visit www.CheckeredFlagRun.com.

Schedule of Events
Fri., March 2, 2012

Check-in at official Checkered Flag Run Hotel: Talking Stick Resort & Casino
Reservations Checkered Flag Run Hotels: (866) 877-9897
Special Checkered Flag Run Rate using code: CFR2012
9800 East Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85256

Checkered Flag Run Meet and Greet at CityScape’s Patriot Square
Fri., March 2, 6-10 p.m.
1 E. Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Checkered Flag Run Meet and Greet After Party at PHX Nightclub with Special Guest DJ Twin
Fri., March 2, 10 p.m.-2 a.m.
122 E. Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Sat., March 3, 2012

Checkered Flag Run Bike Show
Sat., March 3, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
7602 S. Avondale Blvd., Avondale, AZ 85323

Basha’s Supermarkets 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series Race
Sat., March 3, 1:30 p.m.-4 p.m.
7602 S. Avondale Blvd., Avondale, AZ 85323

Checkered Flag Run Club Walk and Raffles at Talking Stick Resort and Casino Ballroom
Sat., March 3, 11 p.m.
9800 East Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85256

Checkered Flag Run Motorcycle Leather and Lace Ball at Talking Stick Resort & Casino Ballroom with Special Guest DJ Boulevard Rodd
Sat., March 3, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.
9800 East Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85256

The entry, awarded by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, organizers of the legendary 24-hour French endurance race, was earned thanks to Level 5′s LMP2 win in the 14th annual Petit Le Mans, where Tucker and co-drivers Christophe Bouchut and Joao Barbosa drove their No. 33 HPD ARX-01g to an impressive sixth place overall finish.

Victory at Petit Le Mans capped off an incredible season for the globe-trotting team, which took part in both the American Le Mans Series and Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in 2011. In addition to his win at Road Atlanta, five-time national driving champion Tucker recorded victories in the ALMS races at Sebring, Long Beach, Road America and Laguna Seca.

But it was Level 5′s first trip to Le Mans that stood out as their highlight of the year. In a grueling race of attrition, stacked up against the toughest competition in the world, Tucker, Bouchut and Barbosa scored a remarkable podium finish in the team’s debut. Level 5 was also the highest-placed U.S. team, with Tucker also taking honors as the top American driver in the race.

The third place result for Level 5, the only prototype team flying the Stars and Stripes at Le Mans this year, combined with the automatic invite earned from their Petit Le Mans victory, gave Tucker no other reason but to already confirm his team’s presence on the 2012 grid in the world’s most prestigious endurance race.

“We’re very proud of our past accomplishments and championships,” said Tucker. “Getting an invitation to Le Mans is something we have worked very hard for and we’re honored and humbled at the same time in receiving it. We’re going to plan and work very efficiently to represent USA in the best possible light on the world’s stage and are proud for being one of the few American teams that competes in the highest level of sports car racing in the world.”

Level 5 is only one of four LMP2 teams to have already received an entry to Le Mans. A general selection process is planned for early February that will fill the remaining space in the 56-car starting field. The 80th annual 24 Hours of Le Mans is set for June 16-17, 2012. Prior to that, teams will have two days of practice and qualifying to prepare for the big race, as well as an official Test Day, scheduled for June 3.

“Level 5 has proven to have the performance and presentation that corresponds with the look and feel of a world-class event like the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” said team manager David Stone. “We’re proud to have earned an invite and are looking forward to returning next year, with the target of winning LMP2.

“Finishing on the podium this year in Level 5′s debut was certainly a driving and motivating factor to keep searching for the dream of standing on the top step. Having won Petit Le Mans two years in a row, and this year in LMP2, in a race with good, hard-fought competition, we feel fortunate that it had led us to the earned right to be in the big show again.”

With a switch to the new HPD ARX-03b for next year, Level 5 plans to begin an aggressive testing and development program in February, ahead of the 60th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, which will serve as the opening round for the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron and the new FIA World Endurance Championship. Further details of Level 5′s complete 2012 program will be announced at a later date.

CEO of the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa welcomed the decision and confirmed that the country and the BIC will be prepared for the date shift. Sheikh Salman also thanked the government and the Bahraini people for their efforts in getting the country’s Grand Prix race back on the schedule.

The updated Grand Prix calendar swapped Bahrain’s race with the Indian Grand Prix, which will now be held October 28.

The core of the ALMS’ new innovative broadcast and digital package will deliver television coverage either on ABC or ESPN2. ABC will feature race telecast coverage on March 20 after the 59th running of the prestigious Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida with remaining ABC broadcasts featuring Road America (August), Baltimore (September) and the season-ending Petit Le Mans (October). ESPN2 will feature the American Le Mans Series in two-hour telecasts from Long Beach (April), Lime Rock and Mosport (July), Mid-Ohio (August) and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (September).  All four ABC race telecasts will receive an encore airing on ESPN2 as part of the new agreement.

ABC and the ESPN family of networks will provide a multi-faceted platform to bring the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron to a significantly larger audience than previous years.  ABC has 100 percent coverage in 115.9 million U.S. households, including more than 230 local affiliates, while ESPN2 is available to 99.7 million homes and is one of the most widely distributed cable broadcast outlets in the United States.

In a U.S. motorsports first, all ALMS races will be carried ‘live’ in their entirety and fully produced on ESPN3.com with ESPN2 and ABC providing televised coverage on a delayed basis. ESPN3.com – ESPN’s signature broadband sports network – will deliver nearly 60 hours of live coverage including 60-minute qualifying shows from each event along with pre- and post-race content.  The ESPN3.com coverage can also be seen worldwide on several of ESPN’s global web-based platforms. The network is currently available domestically in more than 65 million households nationwide at no additional cost to users who receive their Internet connection of cable TV video subscription from an affiliated provider. Customers of an affiliated service provider will also be able to watch the Series ‘live’ via an ESPN3.com pop-off player on americanlemans.com and Xbox LIVE Gold.

The 2011 ESPN telecast package also includes a two-hour documentary-style broadcast from the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix in September – a race through the city’s inner harbor area – to be produced by Intersport’s Emmy-award winning production team. ALMS’ association with Intersport began in the 2010 season. Intersport produced two docudrama-style race broadcasts which told the story of the Series’ events at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Mid-Ohio, and highlighted its many storylines and colorful personalities.

Darren Skilton will be unleashing the fury alongside co-drivers Mead, and Collins as they represent the USA in their Ford F-150 Raptor — fitted with General Grabber competition tires.

Celebrated as the toughest and most widely watched motorsports event in the world, the 2011 Dakar Rally will host more than 350 teams from around the globe.

“This is an exciting sponsorship for General Tire,” said Travis Roffler, director of marketing, General Tire.  ”We’ve made a major come-back in motorsports in the past few years, and sponsoring Team USA at the Dakar Rally is just another step in the plan.  With the reported 4.1 million spectators and 2.2 billion television viewers the event had last year, this is the ultimate off-road sponsorship opportunity for us.”

Faced with the world’s most difficult course, the team chose the best tires and the best truck to conquer it.  The team selected General Grabber competition tires to get them to the finish line because not only are they known for their durability, speed and precision handling, but they are champions of off-road racing — put to the test time and time again on the demanding terrain of the Baja 1000 and the Best in the Desert series.  With the combined skill and experience of Skilton, Mead and Collins, coupled with the strength of the Ford F-150 Raptor and General Grabber competition tires, Team USA will be a formidable competitor at the 2011 Dakar Rally.

The legendary Dakar is what dreams are made of; for Skilton, a Dakar win is the ultimate goal. Skilton is an accomplished and well respected off-road racer, who is now looking forward to his journey at Dakar to round out his distinguished career by getting the Ford F-150 Raptor to the finish line with a win.

For Sue Mead, it’s a dream come true.  Mead’s automotive journalism career has spanned an impressive 22 years in which she has raced and test-driven four-wheel vehicles across the globe.  In 2008, she was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame.  With three published books, years of experience as an automotive editor for CNN and countless articles published in automotive magazines and daily newspapers — Mead has accomplished a lot, but not everything.  On Jan. 1 ^st, Mead will realize her life-long dream of competing in the Dakar Rally.

The third driver, Tom Collins, has also had a remarkable career in off-road racing.  Over the past four decades, Collins has participated in numerous extreme adventures and “world firsts,” including the first motorized traverse of Madagascar; the first motorized crossing of Borneo; the first motorized traverse of Siberia’s Elictare River Valley; and the first 4X4 crossing of Colorado along the Continental Divide.

Discount Tire and Penske Racing share a historic milestone with the win of their first NASCAR championship, and congratulate Brad Keselowski for driving the No. 22 car to victory in the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series this year.  Keselowski clinched the Nationwide points title with his third place finish at Texas on Nov. 6.

Discount Tire’s involvement with NASCAR began in 2003.  Since the onset, NASCAR has helped elevate the Discount Tire brand across the country as well as the excitement level among the company’s approximately 13,000 employees working at more than 780 stores in 22 states.  NASCAR has helped extend Discount Tire’s brand awareness throughout the NASCAR community and is a rallying point for all who work at the company, which celebrated its 50th year in business in 2010.

Michael Zuieback, executive VP who leads Discount Tire’s NASCAR program, stated:

“We brought the best of NASCAR together to help us achieve ‘The Dream’ of the Nationwide Series championship.  The team we assembled as well as the No. 22 car have come to represent the winning culture of our company.  Penske Racing and Discount Tire share the winning ideals that keep our companies growing, and our newly won NASCAR title is another example of how we deliver our best to our customers and employees alike.”

Discount Tire, the world’s largest tire and wheel retailer, is the primary sponsor on the Penske Racing No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger driven by Brad Keselowski in the Nationwide Series this year.  Discount Tire began a multi-year agreement with Penske Racing for the 2010 Nationwide season.

“Discount Tire is delighted to be a partner with Penske Racing, and with our shared NASCAR championship, we will forever be a part of the winning heritage associated with Roger Penske,” said Bruce T. Halle, founder and chairman of Discount Tire.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our driver Brad and the No. 22 team led by crew chief Paul Wolfe,” said Roger Penske.  ”They have been a model of consistency throughout the season and were able to bring a NASCAR championship to Penske Racing and Discount Tire.”

During his championship run, Keselowski and the Penske Racing No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger team were atop the leader board in the Nationwide Series for much of the year. Keselowski earned six wins in 32 starts this season and compiled a record that includes 24 Top 5 finishes and 27 Top 10 finishes, while extending his overall Nationwide Series record of consecutive finishes without a DNF (Did Not Finish) to 99 races. (Denotes racing stats thru Texas race Nov. 6)

“Winning a NASCAR championship is the culmination of a dream and is the result of hard work and sacrifice by the entire No. 22 team. I’ll always take great pride in knowing we earned a place in motorsports history,” said Brad Keselowski, No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger driver and 2010 Nationwide Series champion.

Currently available throughout Europe, Ford Racing Performance Group is bringing the competition-ready package stateside to let enthusiasts turn their five-door Fiesta into a Fiesta R2 that’s ready to compete on the roads of RallyCar’s Rally America National Championship. The package is now available for order through Team O’Neil Motorsports, a division of Team O’Neil Rally School in New Hampshire (info@teamoneil.com).

“The spirit of One Ford is making it possible for us to bring the best of European rally racing to competitors in the U.S.,” said Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsport. “The Fiesta R2 has already proven itself in Europe as a great platform for aspiring rally drivers.”

The winner of the 2011 U.S. Fiesta Sport Trophy Championship will also have the opportunity to compete in the R2 class during next year’s Wales Rally GB.

Developed by M-Sport, Ford’s WRC partner since 1997, the kit will convert a production Fiesta to rally specification. Included in the package are engine parts that will increase the performance of the 1.6-liter Ti-VCT four-cylinder engine: pistons, conrods, camshafts, valve springs, injectors, airbox, air filter and a sump baffle kit. The performance enhancements deliver 168 horsepower and 134 lb.-ft. of torque, a 40 percent increase in horsepower over the production Fiesta.

Other upgrades include:

• Five-speed Sadev sequential gearbox with flat shift gear cut
• Reiger adjustable dampers with Eibach springs
• Ventilated disc brakes with AP four-piston competition calipers
• T45 steel multipoint roll cage

Team O’Neil Motorsports is the official reseller and authorized installer for the R2 kits. Only cars prepared by Team O’Neil will be eligible for the U.S. Fiesta Sport Trophy Championship.

“The R2 kit provides a fantastic performance and dynamic upgrade for the already strong and light Fiesta platform, transforming it into an instantly competitive and durable rally car,” said Tim O’Neil, founder and president. “We’re really excited to be able to offer this to North American rally drivers.”

In addition to the full R2 kit, Ford Racing will also offer a Stage 1 kit based on the R2 package.

The Stage 1 kit will include parts designed for the rigors of rallying, including a roll cage, ball joints, engine performance upgrades, dampers and a limited-slip differential. The package will offer competitors a lower-cost entry point to take a Fiesta rallying.

New Fiesta Sport Trophy class

Enthusiasts who add the R2 package to their Fiesta will have the ability to compete in the Fiesta Sport Trophy Championship in RallyCar’s Rally America National Championship 2WD class in 2011. The winner of the Fiesta Sport Trophy Championship will be awarded a ride in the R2 class in a Fiesta at Wales Rally GB. Additionally, the winner from the class will have the opportunity to compete in the Fiesta SportTrophy International Shootout in Great Britain for a chance to win a year’s residential placement at M-Sport, working with the BP Ford World Rally team.

“Over the last two years, Ford Racing and the Fiesta have made a significant impact in the AWD Open class of RallyCar’s Rally America, at X Games and in the debut of RallyCross,” said JB Niday, managing director of RallyCar. “To see that emphasis expand into the 2WD class with an opportunity like the Fiesta Sport Trophy Championship is a tremendous indicator of the value placed on the Fiesta program and the commitment to growing Fiesta through rally by Ford.”

The rally kit also is the perfect way for enthusiasts to appreciate all that the Fiesta offers.

“Not only are we offering rally enthusiasts a way to experience the full capabilities of Fiesta, but we’re also giving them an amazing opportunity to test their skills in Europe on their way to perhaps realizing a dream of competing in the WRC,” said Allison.

Series rookie, Jarvis Gennari, earned his first Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup victory yesterday at Road America after an exciting battle with Chris Wehrheim, the event’s polesitter and eventual second-place finisher. Gennari and Wehrheim swapped the lead all afternoon, but the Boca Raton, FL native was able to regain the lead on the white flag lap to take the win.

“It was a nerve wracking, but exciting day,” said Gennari. “Chris (Wehrheim) and I were racing really hard the entire afternoon. I’ve been competing against him for the past few years on the karting circuit and we’ve always raced closely and cleanly. We have a lot of mutual respect for one another; so not only was the race exciting, but the fact that I was racing with him made it that much better. Throughout the year, I’ve been working harder and harder to be competitive and now I’ve finished in the top-four at the past three events. At the beginning the season, I never would’ve thought I could run up front, let alone earn a victory. So it is a fantastic feeling to have won.”

Rookie, Kevin Gleason, finished the race in third, marking his second consecutive third-place finish. Wyatt Gooden, the Series points leader, brought his car home in fourth and Jake Thompson finished fifth.

With just three races left in the 2010 season, the points race remains tight with just 35 points separating the top-five drivers. After his fourth-place result, Wyatt Gooden retains the lead in the Championship with 224 points. Race winner, Gennari, would have taken second place in the standings, but was penalized thirty points due to a blocking penalty and dropped to sixth in the Championship. Therefore, Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle moves into second place with 202 and that moves Jake Thompson into third place with 200 points. Arie Ouimet is in fourth place with 192 points and JD Mobley rounds out the top-five with 189 points.

Ouimet Named as Candidate for 21st Annual Team USA Scholarship

It was announced yesterday at Road America that Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup rookie, Arie Ouimet has been nominated as one of eight candidates for the Team USA Scholarship. Ouimet and the other candidates will be competing for a pair of scholarships to contest the traditional end-of-season Formula Ford events in England in October and November. The selection for the two winners will be determined at a “shoot-out” at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Chandler, Arizona in September.

Past Team USA Scholarship winners include Jimmy Vasser (the award’s inaugural winner in 1990), Bryan Herta, Buddy Rice, Memo Gidley, Paul Edwards, Andy Lally, Joey Hand, Bryan Sellers and J.R. Hildebrand.

Pair of Guest Drivers at Road America

There were two guest drivers competing in Round 7 of the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup event at Road America, Cooper MacNeil, a SCCA Nationally Licensed Touring 2 driver and racing broadcaster Ralph Sheheen. Cooper would end up finishing the event in 21st place and Sheheen would bring his car home in 25th.

“I had an absolutely fantastic weekend,” said Sheheen after the race. “I’ve seen a lot of driver development programs over the years and I’m so impressed with the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup. This is, by far, one of the most impressive Series I’ve seen as far as the amount of tools and resources provided to drivers to further their careers. As far as preparation and performance, the cars are incredible. I never would’ve thought that a front-wheel, turbo diesel engine would make such a thrilling racecar.”

“I had a great car today and I was able to run the exact pace that I wanted to all afternoon,” said Thompson after the race. “I’m really excited about the win today, I just went out and drove my race. I was relaxed and patient and my Jetta TDI Cup car handled perfectly all day. I wasn’t happy with my position in the point standings coming into this weekend, but I have a new outlook; we have a lot of races left and I’m going to take this momentum into our next event in two weeks at Mid-Ohio.”

Series veteran, JD Mobley, finished second, which marked his first Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup podium appearance in two years of competition. Three rookies rounded out the top-five as Wyatt Gooden finished third, Arie Ouimet finished fourth and Nate Norenberg finished fifth. JJ Tomlinson, of Park City, finished the day in 22nd after being able to move up three spots from his starting position. The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup will head to Ohio for Round Five at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on June 20th.

Progress Through the Entire Field

With four rookies finishing in the top-six today in Utah, it’s safe to say that the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup driving instructors are getting ever-closer to accomplishing their goal of grooming the best up-and-coming drivers for careers in motorsports.

“What a fantastic event,” said Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Driving Instructor, Mark Miller. “My hat’s off to Jake (Thompson) – he ran a great race and he was fast all weekend; he certainly deserved the win here in Utah. I also can’t express enough how impressed I am with JD (Mobley); to have to switch to a car he’d never driven and then qualify third is amazing. That speaks volumes to his character and the skills he’s developing here in the Jetta TDI Cup. I think we saw a lot of close, clean racing which is certainly consistent with the messaging we’re giving these drivers. I’m very happy with where we are at this point in the season and I look forward to the drivers all continuing to impress us throughout the year.”

All-Star Cast of Guest Drivers in Utah

This weekend, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup race featured four guest drivers including Roger Hayden, who currently competes on the World Superbike Tour; Anthony Lobello, who was a member of the 2006 US Speed Skating Olympic team; Grete Eliassen, who is a professional Red Bull freeskier; and Thomas Lyman, a journalist who currently writes for 0-60 Magazine and has a significant amount of seat time in various SCCA classes.

Lyman was today’s top-finishing guest driver as he recorded an impressive eleventh-place result. Roger Hayden was knocked out of the race early due to contact on lap 2, which placed him 27th; Lobello finished 25th and Eliassen brought her car home in 26th.

“The race was one of the most competitive events I’ve ever been a part of,” said Lyman. “I’ve never fought so hard for an eleventh-place finish. The talent in this Series is a real testament to the amount of skill that drivers are developing not only behind the wheels of the Jetta TDI Cup cars, but also through the instruction they’re receiving. I had a blast all weekend and I just want to thank Volkswagen for inviting me to be a part of the event.”

It was auto racing at its most exhilarating as actor Brian Austin Green prevailed over a highly competitive group of America’s favorite celebrities from film, television, music and sports to win the Celebrity category of the 2010 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. Former CART Champion Jimmy Vasser finished first overall and in doing so also won the Pro category, followed closely by Formula Drift Champion Tanner Foust.

Green, the actor who achieved fame as a teen idol for his role as David Silver in the original “Beverly Hills, 90210,” first fought off comedian Adam Carolla, then battled much of the race with actor Adrien Brody, taking the lead in the eighth lap and holding it to cross the finish line in his race-ready Scion tC just fractions of a second before Brody and actor Zachary Levi.

Green was ecstatic after the race. “We all pushed each other and really battled,” said the new celebrity champ. “This is such a great group of people. We’ve all become really close friends under very cool circumstances. I’d be just as happy had Zach or Adrien won.”

“This was an exciting and entertaining race,” said Les Unger, national motorsports manager with Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. “These drivers battled the entire race, and the crowd responded. Every participant was hungry to take home the trophy and brought their A game to the competition. The drivers remained intensely focused throughout their training, and yesterday’s practice and qualifying sessions. Their commitment and enthusiasm exemplify the spirit of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race.”

Vasser, who won the Pro category, did not overcome the pros’ 30-second handicap until the last lap, holding off Foust and Green, who came in second and third overall. Vasser voiced the feelings of the rest of the drivers when he concluded by describing the charitable nature of the event. “This was great fun,” said Vasser. I’d love to do this again. It’s an honor, we develop great camaraderie and we get to race for the children’s charity.”

FINAL RACE RESULTS

Pos Class Name Laps Time
1 Pro Jimmy Vasser 13 27:31.586
2 Pro Tanner Foust 13 27:32.231
3 Celebrity Brian Austin Green 13 27:34.563
4 Pro Marty Nothstein 13 27:34.859
5 Celebrity Adrien Brody 13 27:37.746
6 Celebrity Zachary Levi 13 27:37.979
7 Pro Steve Millen 13 27:38.617
8 Celebrity Patrick Warburton 13 27:44.142
9 Celebrity Adam Carolla 13 27:44.225
10 Charity Auction Winner Dave Pasant 13 27:44.956
11 Pro Keanu Reeves 13 27:45.651
12 Celebrity Christian Slater 13 27:46.127
13 Charity Auction Winner Jerry Westlund 13 27:56.299
14 Celebrity Tika Sumpter 13 27:57.783
15 Celebrity Megyn Price 13 27:58.242
16 Celebrity Jesse McCartney 6 11:10.570
North Hollywood Toyota
17 Vice President Chris Ashworth 6 11:24.403
— ———————- ————– — ———
18 Celebrity Tony Hawk 6 11:24.432
— ——— ——— — ———
19 Pro Jamie Bestwick 2 4:07.377
— — ————– — ——–

Toyota will donate $5,000 to “Racing for Kids” in the name of each celebrity racer and an additional $5,000 to the winning racer’s charity of choice. The organization for which Green raced is Cure Autism Now, an autism advocacy organization sponsoring research and spreading awareness of the disorder. “Racing for Kids” is a national nonprofit program benefiting children’s hospitals. Recipients of Toyota’s donations will be the children’s hospitals in Long Beach and Orange County, Calif. Toyota has donated $1.8 million on behalf of the race and its participants since 1991.

Additionally, a $15,000 donation was made in conjunction with the annual People Pole Award. Sponsored by People magazine, the award was given to Zachary Levi, this year’s pole-position winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race qualifying session. Levi selected Operation Smile, which works to transform the lives of children who suffer from cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities. Levi is hoping the funds generated by the People Pole Award will go a long way to improving the lives of children.

The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is scheduled to be broadcast on the Speed Channel on Saturday, May 1, and will air repeatedly. (See local listings or http://www.speedtv.com/ for times.)